Quotable

Ye greatly rejoice, though now...ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold...though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ...receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls (1 Pt 1:6-9).

From my own experiences during fiery trials, I can testify that the pain, the angst, and other suffering are conquered the instant I surrender to the flames. It is like falling backwards off a steep cliff into the hands of God. There is no parachute and no stopping halfway. If He doesn’t catch you, then you will hit the bottom and die. That is literally the goal of faith—to trust God with your life and everything in it. All that is not put into His hands is unprotected and causes us angst and suffering. However, when all is surrendered, we receive a deep serenity that the fire will not burn anything except what needs to be consumed. That’s when the gold shines.

—Cedric H. Fisher